Governor: Slash taxes, grow MCG

Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2008

ATLANTA - The state government would eliminate the property taxes it levies, support the expansion of the Medical College of Georgia and infuse ailing trauma-care centers with badly needed cash under plans Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday.

Perdue made the proposals in his annual State of the State address, which was the most expansive view to date of his agenda for the 2008 legislative session - though critics said the ideas still didn't go far enough to address Georgia's problems.

The address coincided with the release of Perdue's proposed budget, which included $7.2 million for expanding the Medical College of Georgia. The expansion plan includes a new campus in Athens in conjunction with the University of Georgia, as well as increasing the number of students at the central campus in Augusta and residential programs in Savannah and Albany.

Other UGA spending includes $4.5 million in equipment for the new College of Pharmacy building and $1.5 million to design the university's planned special-collections library.

The plan also includes $5.2 million for an Industrial Technology Building at Athens Technical College's Elbert County campus.

Meanwhile, Perdue's proposal to eliminate the state property tax on homes and automobiles - which represents a small portion of what homeowners pay every year - appeared to be an attempt to offer an alternative to a proposal by House Speaker Glenn Richardson to replace property taxes levied by local schools with a broader sales tax.

Perdue's plan would save property owners about $94 million a year or about $15 on a $150,000 home. When Democrat Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor made the same proposal during his 2006 race for governor, Perdue's campaign dismissed the idea.

The governor also repeated his pitch to expand an income tax cut for older citizens to cover all retirement income, a promise Perdue has been making since the same 2006 campaign.

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"Georgia's future is as an international capital," Perdue said. "To achieve this, we must be a low-tax state. ... I am proud to offer these agenda items because I believe in fiscal responsibility, and I believe in tax relief for the people of Georgia."

The governor proposed $53 million for trauma centers, pointing to the financial troubles of Grady Hospital in Atlanta as an example of the struggles of hospitals that handle the most serious injuries.

Lawmakers who have worked on finding additional money for trauma care said Perdue's proposal isn't enough on its own, but is a step in the right direction.

"It's a good start," said state Rep. Mickey Channell, R-Greensboro.

Perdue renewed his call for an additional fine on "super speeders" as one way to fund the hospitals and reduce driving risks. And he pressed for money to hire another 200 state troopers.

State Rep. Doug McKillip, D-Athens, applauded the governor's decision to give more authority over state transportation agencies to Transportation Commissioner Gena Abraham.

"I'd like to see some motion forward on commuter rail," McKillip said.